The Duke Law Federalist Society is one of the largest and most active student groups at Duke Law. The chapter is comprised of conservatives, moderates, and libertarians interested in the current state of the legal order.
The Federalist Society was founded on the principles that the state exists to preserve freedom, that the separation of governmental powers is central to our Constitution, and that it is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be. The Society seeks both to promote an awareness of these principles and to further their application through its activities.
At Duke, we host numerous panels, debates, social events, and networking opportunities. Our members hold a diverse array of viewpoints, and we consider productive dialogue as our most important chapter goal. In 2007, the Duke Chapter was rebranded as the Judge Gerald Bard Tjoflat Chapter of the Federalist Society. The renaming was made possible through a generous gift by a group of our anonymous alumni in recognition of Judge Tjoflat’s continued contributions to the bench and the Federalist Society as well as his time spent at Duke Law. Judge Tjoflat, an 11th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge, is a 1957 graduate and is representative of a number of successful graduates who have continued to give back to the Society post-graduation.
Above all, the Duke Law Federalist Society is committed to open, honest, and fair discussion of pressing legal and public policy issues.
